The Substance
(SPOILERS IN SYNOPSIS) IN THE SUBSTANCE DEMI MOORE PLAYS ELISABETH SPARKLE A FORMER A LIST ACTRESS, TURNED AEROBIC INSTRUCTOR STAR, WHO HAS JUST TURNED FIFTY WHEN THE FILM OPENS. THE RATINGS OF THE FITNESS SHOW ARE PLUMMETING, AND THE HEAD OF THE NETWORK PLAYED BY DENNIS QUAID FIRES ELISABETH, LOOKING FOR A NEW STAR OF THE SHOW IN THEIR 20S. LEAVING THE STUDIO ELISABETH BECOMES DISTRACTED BY A BILLBOARD OF HER GETTING RIPPED DOWN AND GETS INTO A CAR ACCIDENT. AT THE HOSPITAL THE DOCTOR CLEARS HER WITHOUT ANY INJURIES AND SHE IS FREE TO GO. IN THAT MOMENT THE DOCTOR LEAVES AND A VERY WEIRD, CREEPY, YOUNG MAN WHO IS A NURSE TELLS HER SHE WILL BE A GREAT CANDIDATE WHILE EXAMINING THE STRUCTURE AND HEALTH OF HER BACK, AND SAYS NOTHING FURTHER. HE SNEAKS A SCRAP OF FOLDED PAPER INSIDE OF HER COAT WITH THE NOTE – THIS CHANGED MY LIFE WITH A HARD DRIVE LABELED THE SUBSTANCE. WHILE BACK HOME ELISABETH FINDS THE NOTE AND THE HARD DRIVE AND THROWS THEM BOTH AWAY. THAT NIGHT AT HER FIFTIETH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION FOR ONE, ELISABETH IS ALL DRESSED UP IN A GOWN ALONE AT A BAR. DEPRESSED, AND LOST ABOUT THE NEXT PHASE OF HER LIFE SHE DIGS OUT THE HARD DRIVE AND WATCHES THE PROMO VIDEO FOR A BLACK MARKET DRUG CALLED THE SUBSTANCE. IN THE VIDEO IT BREAKDOWNS THE SUBSTANCE, WHICH IS A SHOT THAT YOU GIVE YOURSELF TO ALTER YOUR DNA STRUCTURE TO BUILD A NEW YOUNGER BETTER VERSION OF YOURSELF. DESPERATE TO NOT BE PHASED OUT AND TO REMAIN RELEVANT ELISABETH CALLS THE MYSTERIOUS SUPPLIER OF THE SUBSTANCE AND ORDERS IT. OBTAINING THE STARTER PACK ARE SEVERAL RULES. FIRST YOU TAKE THE INITIATOR SHOT ONCE ONLY TO START THE PROCESS. ELISABETH TAKES IT AND IS EXPECTING HERSELF TO CHANGE BEFORE HER EYES, BUT THE SUBSTANCE STARTS TO TAKE AFFECT, KNOCKING ELISABETH TO THE GROUND, AND SHE ULTIMATELY GIVES BIRTH TO A BETTER VERSION OF HERSELF OUT OF HER BACK CAVITY WHICH IS PLAYED BY MARGARET QUALLEY WHO BECOMES SUE. BECAUSE ELISABETH’S CELLS ARE FUELING NOT ONLY ELISABAETH, BUT ALSO SUE, IT FORCES THEM TO SWITCH OFF BEING OUT IN THE WORLD EXACTLY SEVEN DAYS FOR SEVEN DAYS. SO WHILE SUE IS OUT IN THE WORLD ELISABETH IS UNCONSCIOUS WITH A FOOD SUPPLY IN HER ARM, AND SUE HAS TO REGULARLY GIVE HERSELF SHOTS FOR SEVEN DAYS OF THE STABILIZER TO MAINTAIN HER CELLULAR STRUCTURE AND BODY. AFTER THE SEVEN DAYS SUE IS UNCONSCIOUS AND ELISABAETH IS OUT IN THE WORLD.
OVER TIME SUE BECOMES FAMOUS, TAKING OVER ELISABETH’S PRIOR JOB. SEEING THE RISE OF SUE, ELISABETH BECOMES SEVERELY DEPRESSED, IS OVER EATING, DESTROYING THE APARTMENT IN ANGRY RAGES, AND UNABLE TO LEAVE THE APARTMENT EVER. WITH SUE’S SUCCESSFUL RISE SHE STARTS TO REFUSE TO SWITCH WITH ELISABETH WHEN ITS TIME AND EXCEEDS THE SEVEN DAYS, PULLING OUT MORE AND MORE STABILIZER FROM ELISABETH’S BACK. BUT EACH TIME THIS HAPPENS IT AGES ELISABETH FURTHER AND FURTHER. AT FIRST HER FINGER AGES, THEN ITS HALF OF HER FACE, AND THEN HER LEG AND HALF HER BODY.
EVENTUALLY SUE IS BECOMING SO SUCCESSFUL THAT SWITCHING OFF WITH ELISABETH FEELS LIKE A WASTE BECAUSE SHE NEVER DOES ANYTHING WITH HER SEVEN DAYS. SO SUE TAKES THREE MONTHS SUPPLY FROM ELISABETH’S BODY OF STABILIZER TO STAY OUT AND NOT SWITCH. BUT IS FORCED TO SWITCH BACK WHEN SHE RUNS OUT COMPLETELY. THIS TURNS ELISABETH INTO A DEFORMED OLD HUNCHBACK. ELISABETH FINALLY TELLS THE SUPPLIER SHE WANTS TO TERMINATE SUE. THEY START THE TERMINATION PROCESS, BUT ELISABETH IS UNABLE TO REVERSE ANY OF THE DEFORMITIES, AND NOW HAS TO LIVE LIKE THAT FOREVER. HER ONLY HOPE AT THAT POINT OF SUCCESS OR LOVE IS THROUGH SUE SO SHE REVIVES HER. BUT SUE IN A BLIND RAGE KILLS ELISABETH AND GOES TO THE BIGGEST EVENT OF HER CAREER, HOSTING A NEW YEARS EVE SHOW FOR THE NETWORK. WHILE THERE IN THE DRESSING ROOM WITHOUT ANY STABILIZER LEFT SUE’S BODY STARTS TO FALL APART. FIRST HER TEETH START FALLING OUT, AND THEN ONE OF HER EARS FALLS OFF. DESPERATE TO MAKE THE SHOW HAPPEN AT ALL COSTS SHE RUSHES BACK TO ELISABETH’S HOME FOR THE ACTIVATOR TO CREATE HER OWN PERFECT VERSION OF HERSELF. OUT OF SUE’S BACK EMERGES A DEFORMED MONSTER WITH MULTIPLE HEADS, AND ON THE SIDE OF ITS BODY THE HEADS OF SUE AND ELISABETH ARE WITHIN IT. THE MONSTER PUTS ON THE BALL GOWN INTENDED FOR SUE AND HEADS TO THE NEW YEARS EVE EVENT AND TRIES TO HOST IT, BUT ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE WITH PEOPLE SCREAMING AT THE MONSTER AND ATTACKING IT. THE MONSTER DURING ALL OF THE CHAOS IS SAYING NO ITS ME ITS STILL ME ITS SUE, ITS ELISABETH. A PERSON CUTS THE HEAD OFF OF THE MONSTER, BUT IT REGENERATES ANOTHER HEAD THAT EXPLODES WITH BLOOD LIKE A FIRE HOSE SPRAYING THE ENTIRE AUDITORIUM. GETTING OUT THE MONSTER IS DESPERATELY TRYING TO MAKE IT BACK HOME, BUT FALLS ONTO THE SIDEWALK BREAKING INTO PIECES. THE FACE OF ELISBAETH FALLS TO THE SIDEWALK PULSATES TO HER HOLLYWOOD STAR WHERE HER FACE EVENTUALLY MELTS DOWN TO BLOOD AND GETS CLEANED AWAY BY A MACHINE.
THEMATICALLY THE FILM DELIVERS, IS RELEVANT, AND CONNECTS WITH OUR CULTURAL OBSESSION WITH BEAUTY STANDARDS AROUND YOUTH, BOTOX, FILLERS, AND EXERCISE, AND AROUND AGEISM. WHILE THE ENDING IS UNIQUE AND POWERFUL, THE VEHICLE TO GET US THERE IS REDUANDANT, ONE NOTE, UNDERWHELMING, LEANING STYLISCATALY ON REQUIEM FOR A DREAM AND ALSO KUBRICK IN A LOT OF WAYS.
THERE IS A LACK OF CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IN DEMI MOORE’S CHARACTER WHICH MADE IT VERY HOLLOW. THE FACT THAT HER WHOLE WORLD AND ENTIRE IDENTITY IS SOLELY ON HOW SHE LOOKS MAKES THE FILM ONE NOTE AND FORCED TO THE SURFACE. BUT ALSO THAT SHE HAS NO FRIENDS, NO LIFE, BUT JUST HER LOOKS GAVE THE FILM NO DIMENSION IN TERMS OF DIALOGUE. STRUCTURALLY DUE TO HOW LIMITED THE FILM IS IN THAT WAY MADE IT EASY TO SEE WHERE IT WAS GOING TO GO BECAUSE THERE WAS NO OTHER CHARACTERS TO CHALLENGE ELISABETH’S DECISIONS AT ALL. ELISABETH’S CHARACTER HAS NO REAL COMPELLING ARCHS EVER WHICH MAKE EVERYTHING FLATLINE BECAUSE THERE IS ONLY ONE OUTCOME AND IT MAKES THE FILM BECOME REPEATITIVE, AND YOUR JUST WAITING FOR THIS FIGHT TO HAPPEN BETWEEN SUE AND ELISABETH. DUE TO ELISABETH NOT GETTING ANYTHING OUT OF DOING THE SUBSTANCE AND NOT DOING ANYTHING OVER THE SEVEN DAYS BUT BECOMING MORE AND MORE DEPRESSED CAUSED HER CONFLICT TO PEAK FAST BECAUSE THERE IS NO REAL PUSH AND PULL OVER ANYTHING. YES SHE CALLS THE SUPPLIER TO SAY SHE WANTS OUT A FEW TIMES AND THEN DECIDES NOT TO, AND ALSO THE SELF LOATHING THAT HOLDS HER BACK AND BATTLE WITHIN HERSELF. BUT THAT CAN ONLY TAKE YOU SO FAR WHEN THE INTERNAL CONFLICT IS MATCHED WITH THE SAME CHALLENGES FOR 2HRS LONG WITHOUT MUCH CHANGE.
IT DIDN’T MAKE SENSE THAT A CELEBRITY WOULD JUST TAKE A SUBSTANCE WITHOUT REALLY KNOWING WHAT IT IS AT ALL. YES THERE IS THE VIDEO SHE WATCHES, BUT IT DOESN’T REALLY SAY MUCH AT ALL ABOUT THE ACTUAL PROCESS AND WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN REALLY. ITS ALL ABSTRACTS ON A CELLULAR SCIENTIFIC LEVEL. BUT ALSO A RANDOM STRANGER GIVES HER THE SUBSTANCE TIP WHICH MAKES IT EVEN MORE WEIRDER TO JUST TRUST IT WHEN CELEBRITIES ARE SKEPTICAL OF PEOPLE IN GENERAL. THE LEVEL OF DESPERATE SHE WAS AT DIDN’T JUSTIFY JUST DOING IT. IT WOULD HAVE GONE A LONGER WAY IN THE FILM IF HER CHARACTER MET SOMEONE WHO DID TAKE THE SUBSTANCE OR SOMEONE THE CHARACTER TRUSTED NOT JUST A WHIM. OR EVEN AN INFOMERCIAL WOULD HAVE MADE MORE SENSE BECAUSE AT LEAST THOSE ARE LONG SEGMENTS LATE AT NIGHT WITH PEOPLE SIMILAR IN AGE TO THE CHARACTER WHO SEEM RELATABLE AND ARE HAVING THESE POSITIVE RESULTS DOING IT. NOT SOME RANDOM NURSE WHO LOOKS LIKE A MANNEQUIN WHO GIVES YOU SOME RANDOM HARD DRIVE WITH A DRUG TO TAKE.
I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THE FILM WON BEST WRITING AT CANNES. THE ENDING IS POWERFUL, BUT THE VEHICLE THAT GOT US THERE FLATLINED. YOU NEED BOTH. WITHOUT BOTH BEING PRESENT I WAS NEVER IN SHOCK EVER, NEVER INVESTED IN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS, AND COULDN’T WAIT FOR THE FILM TO FINALLY END.
THE RUN TIME WAS NOT JUSTIFIED AT ALL WHEN THE TWILIGHT ZONE EPISODE AQUA VITA DID THE SAME EXACT THEMES WITH 24MINS, DAVID FINCHER WAS ABLE TO DISCUSS THIS THEME WITHIN 10MINS PERFECTLY IN SE7EN WITH THE PRIDE MURDER, ITS DISCUSSED WITHIN 30MINS OF DEATH BECOMES HER. THE SUBSTANCE SHOULD HAVE BEEN 1HR 20MINS MAX 1HR 30 MINS OR EVEN A TWILIGHT ZONE SPECIAL IN 40MINS. NOT 2HRS 20MINS.
THE SUBSTANCE IS NOW PLAYING IN THEATERS.